THE FIRM

                                                                                   

 

                                    We come in peace, we leave you in pieces.

 

Bexy is a married man with a baby son and it is clear his wife does not approve of his activities as a football hooligan which provide contrast to his respectable job as an estate agent. Even when his baby son injures himself with a Stanley knife carelessly left around by Bexy he is unwilling to give up his interest in violence as he admits it gives him a buzz. Conversely, Bexy's father shows some degree of acceptance of his son's lifestyle and may have been involved in similar activities in his own era. Bexy uses his natural leadership qualities to cajole (sometimes to the extent of intimidating those less eager) and encourage his peers and plays a key role in organising trips to rival firms. He also has a vision of a national firm, which would join all the smaller firms into one. But his ideas are not accepted by other firm leaders.

Bexy and his fellow hooligans clearly only possess any kind of social status amongst their own groups and Bexy obviously relishes being looked up to and admired by the younger lads in his "firm". Bexy and his friends think of themselves as important, respected figures in their local community but Bexy's wife points out to him that the truth is somewhat different. Everyone thinks of him as a bit of a joke figure but because of their fear of his violent nature few are willing to point out to him that he isn't the working class hero he thinks he is.

Towards the end of the film the pointlessness and futility of being involved in football violence is characterised by the main character Bexy being shot dead by Yeti, the leader of "The Buccaneers" one of their rival firms during a violent clash. Despite the senseless killing of a family man with a child, Bexy's followers still regard him as a hero figure and claim that when they are fighting European thugs at a forthcoming tournament they will be doing so in memory of their dead leader. This part of the film shows the hooligans from three different firms, which were fighting each other not long ago. They claim that Bexy is a visionary that brought them together, so Bexy becomes a legend in the eyes of the other hooligans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright(C) 2007 - 2020. All rights reserved.

 

                            

   

Directed by Alan Clarke
Produced by David M. Thompson
Written by Al Ashton
Starring Gary Oldman
Lesley Manville
Phil Davis
Charles Lawson
Music by  
Distributed by BBC
Release date(s) 1988
Running time 67 mins
Language English
Budget  

      

 

    PROBATION HOME